Senator-elect Malcolm Roberts has made a number of statements regarding climate science and empirical evidence. There is abundant evidence that heat trapping greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere at record levels, this is causing the climate to change, and this is impacting on natural and human systems now.

Insiders host Barrie Cassidy referred to an email sent by TCI to Insiders ahead of the program. Here are some of the facts highlighted in that email:

On empirical evidence, 80 academies of science around the world have confirmed the mainstream science of climate change. The Australian Academy of Science published an extensive analysis – their chapter on human causes of climate change is here. It shows the evidential pathways for establishing the human contribution to climate change and that recent climate change can’t be understood without an impact from human activities. It dismisses suggestions that volcanic and solar impacts overwhelm human impacts in recent times.

More detail from the thousands of scientists involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process (yes, a collaborative effort – but one across multiple disciplines of science) is here This has been reviewed and accepted by over 190 governments

No one denies CO2 can be helpful for plant growth and our planet would be an ice ball without it (and has been at low levels) but any drinker on aFriday night can tell you – you can have too much of a good thing. Empirical measurements show that CO2 in the atmosphere is 40% higher than before the industrial revolution (see p11 here).

Warming theories aside, empirical evidence is showing the ocean, which is absorbing large amounts of the extra CO2 in the atmosphere is having a straight chemical effect with noticeable increase in acidification, explained well by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority here

Science has established since 1859 the atmospheric heat trapping qualities of CO2 –John Tyndall – more of it will increase warming…

His closing line with Rafael Epstein ABC 774 (6/8/16) on UN “definitely” trying to establish global government through climate change is demonstrably false at the very least in the current Paris Framework. The Paris model is nationally driven where targets countries adopt are formally called “nationally determined commitments”. Countries determine what they want to commit to. Some are OK, most are inadequate like Australia’s, and some are downright shabby like Saudi Arabia – no global control there…

An important backgrounder on the Senator-elect from The Guardian’s Graham Readfearn is worth reading: here

If it’s not a coordinated conspiracy, a term he appears to rail against, it is a remarkable effort from those banking families he fears – everyone, including the Pentagon, are apparently toeing the line

A nice simple 5 min Youtube video on this from the scientists at Skeptical Science including reference to empirical evidence John Cook provides more detail in this piece on The Conversation 5 August 2016.

It is worth asking the Senator-elect why he thinks 2015 was the warmest year on record, why 2014 was, and why this year is heading to break that record again. These facts, and more empirical evidence, were set out by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration three days ago, their State of the Climate Report here

20 Comments

Hopefully Malcolm Roberts will respond positively to a request that he table in the Senate some of his emperical research that leads him to believe anthropogenic climate change is a hoax.

This is your big chance Malcolm to show the nation that the likes of Abbott and Joyce have been right all this time.

JeffJL 3 years ago

Not sure about point 3.

I am volunteering to assist in being a subject in a research project to look at this thesis for any budding scientist.

Peter Campbell 3 years ago

Yeah, but aside from all that, is there any evidence? Especially considering as how it has been quite cool today where I am.

Bob Fearn 3 years ago

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Chris Fraser 3 years ago

Yes, I even turned the aircon colder, just to make sure. Malcom could be onto something ….

charlesx 3 years ago

“Senator-elect Malcolm Roberts has made a number of statements regarding climate science and empirical evidence”. Has he – what did he say exactly, and why have you not provided a link so that people can see what he said? Then it might be possible to have an intelligent discussion rather than just link-spamming claims from climate activists.

David Osmond 3 years ago

Here’s an interview on Lateline that is a good example of his thinking

Malcolm Roberts absolutely defies any opposition by saying “Where is the evidence?” He has the gall of a megalomaniac. Right now all I can think to do is ask him exactly the same question with regard to his pseudo-position on the subject of none- human induced, none- climate change, if such can possibly be conceived to exist, maybe in a parallel universe. He is trying to shift the onus off himself. Let’s keep the weights firmly on him.

You’ve got a mouth, Robert. So, you tell us how the climate and the fossil fuel economy interact with each other? Go on, see how F’ing far you get.

Guys like Roberts will, of the last point (10) say that the temperature figures have been fudged and it is actually getting colder. That wind turbines use too much concrete, solar panels use toxic metals and can’t be made without coal. They will also tell us that they know more Climate science than the scientists, the islands are sinking and not flooding from rising sea levels………………………….

John McKeon 3 years ago

Indeed it seems to be a major strategic tactic in their propaganda war to ignore the obvious and knit pick at the irrelevant … ad nauseam.

solarguy 3 years ago

The thing that gets me about these nitwits, is that they believe their own bullshit. Are they unhinged or do they get cash for comment from the FF lobby?

Peter Campbell 3 years ago

I think there is a subset of people who just really like being contrarians. It gives them a sense of identity – that they are part of a small minority who have superior insight into the ‘how things really work’. If they are bright enough to read widely and apply liberal doses of confirmation bias they can assemble seemingly impressive evidence for their position. If the evidence were the other way around and strongly showed global cooling from some other cause in spite of our greenhouse gas emissions, Roberts and the like would be loudly warning that that evidence was all a conspiracy to get us to abandon cheap renewable power and to burn more fossil fuels.

Horst 3 years ago

That’s all well and good, the only flaw here is that you have used words and numbers and facts, a poor foil for the level of cognitive dissonance present on this instance.

Radbug 3 years ago

The Senate, as we know it, is becoming increasingly dysfunctional. As I remember it, the Constitution states that the Senate “reviews” legislation. The High Court could very well interpret that clause as “reviewing” House of Reps legislation for the same period of time as the House of Lords, after the Lords voted to truncate the “reviewing” period after all those new Lords were created. In short, Given people like Mr Roberts, I think the Senate is being given enough rope to hang itself.

Brunel 3 years ago

What about the cost of electricity?

Solar power in Dubai is US 3c/kWh. Should not Aussies get cheap power via solar panels?

Bob Fearn 3 years ago

Roberts is entitled to his opinion but not the facts. This type of ignorance is doing great damage to America as they try to progress with ignorant Republicans.

Robert Comerford 3 years ago

Just ignore him, he has no qualifications on this issue and presents no evidence to refute the science. An inconvenient truth for him and many others who want our overindulgent western lifestyles to continue unabated.

RobSa 3 years ago

John Cook’s UQx DENIAL videos on Youtube are outstanding. Malcolm Roberts needs some professional help.

Geoff 3 years ago

2 things about this malcolm guy. 1. by his one nation photo, he looks like the devil. 2. he is a merchant of doubt. just like we saw with tobacco we are seeing with fossil fuels. ignore him enough and hopefully he’ll go away…